The present invention relates to a roller blind for a window of a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to a roller blind for a front window having a roller-blind web which can be drawn out of a gap of a receiving housing and at the end of which a centrally arranged drawing-out aid is provided with reinforced free border regions arranged at the sides of the drawing-out aid.
DE 39 25 801 A1 discloses a window roller blind for a triangular side window of a motor vehicle. This blind has a roller-blind web which can be wound up onto a rotatably mounted bearing shaft and unwound therefrom. In order to prevent free border regions which are located outside the region where the roller-blind web is subjected to tensile stressing from falling in, at least one flexible reinforcement element is provided in the border regions. The reinforcement elements are connected to the roller-blind web by welding, adhesive bonding or the like. In particular metal or plastic wires are used as reinforcement elements.
DE 92 00 437 U1 shows a roller blind used as a sun visor for a front window of a motor vehicle. The roller-blind sheet is stored in a hollow of an instrument panel beneath the windscreen, with the hollow being covered by a lid. The instrument-panel opening, which permits access to the roller-blind sheet and can be covered by the lid, is relatively wide. In addition, in the case of curved instrument panels, high demands are to be made on the shaping of the lid.
An object of the present invention is to provide a roller blind which permits a very narrow gap in the receiving housing and, nevertheless, prevents the free border regions from falling in.
This object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention in that the end is provided with a thin reinforcement strip which runs transversely with respect to the movement direction of the roller-blind web, is attached to the roller-blind web, over the entire width thereof, and has a strip end which projects in a freely pivotable manner from the roller-blind web along a hinge axis which extends transversely over the width of the roller-blind web.
The solution according to the present invention prevents the free border regions from falling in even in the case of very wide roller blinds which extend over the entire width of a windscreen or of a rear window. By virtue of the narrow configuration of the roller-blind gap in the receiving housing, the latter can be integrated in an aesthetically pleasing manner into the interior of the motor vehicle. For example, the receiving housing can be accommodated in an instrument panel.
Because the loose strip end projects at an angle from the roller-blind web when the latter is drawn out, the hinge axis, which constitutes the bending line, forms a stable supporting axis over the entire width of the roller-blind web. Due to its dead weight, the loose strip end projects from the roller-blind web as soon as the roller blind is drawn out obliquely corresponding to an inclination of the associated window of the motor vehicle. The greater the inclination of the window, the greater then is the supporting action of the strip end which provides the roller-blind web with the highest degree of stability when it projects at an angle of approximately 90.degree.. Inasmuch as the strip end hangs down loosely, when the roller-blind web is drawn back into the gap of the receiving housing, the strip end rests against the roller-blind web upon passing through the gap. As a result, a minimal stowage dimension of the roller blind is required.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the free border regions of the end of the roller-blind web taper obliquely, corresponding to the legs of an isosceles triangle, to the centrally arranged drawing-out aid. The hinge axis of the reinforcement strip is arranged at a distance from the drawing-out aid to form the hypotenuse of the isosceles triangle. This configuration makes it possible for all but the drawing-out aid of the roller-blind web to be drawn fully into the gap of the receiving housing, with the result that none of the roller blind is left protruding.
The reinforcement strip can have a curved longitudinal profile. This increases the bending stability of the reinforcement strip. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the loose strip end of the reinforcement strip has a tongue which, when the roller-blind web is in the retracted state, projects out of the gap of the receiving housing. The reinforcement strip is thereby prevented from penetrating fully into the receiving housing when the roller-blind web is retracted. Jamming or tilting of the reinforcement strip in the receiving housing is thus avoided.
At least one retaining element can be provided to limit the pivot-out angle of the strip end relative to the roller-blind web to approximately 90.degree.. By virtue of this retaining element, the reinforcement strip is always located approximately at right angles with respect to the roller-blind web when the latter is drawn out, as a result of which the hinge axis of the reinforcement strip provides the roller-blind web with an extremely high degree of support and stability.